Latest news with #world champions
CNA
6 days ago
- Sport
- CNA
Women's Euro exit shows once-mighty Germany battling to keep pace
A courageous German performance in their 1-0 Women's Euro semi-final defeat by world champions Spain means they leave Switzerland with heads high, but the once-dominant team need to find a cutting attacking edge to keep up with the best. Spain playmaker Aitana Bonmati proved to be the difference, conjuring up a superb winner in extra time. Though Christian Wueck's young side performed well on the night, they lacked a truly world-class attacking talent to turn a game in their favour at such a high level. "We have to evolve, we have to improve, we had phases of ball possession today that we simply did not exploit well, and those are areas where we need to improve, especially in the youth system, so that we can develop well-trained players for the Bundesliga," Wueck told reporters. "Also (we need to) perform better in those phases of ball possession that were not well-executed today, especially at that level. That is part of being a top team, and of course we are still lacking in comparison to Spain and England." Spain face England in Sunday's final. Eight-time champions Germany have not won the tournament since 2013 in Stockholm, and in the meantime they have been reined in and passed by as other countries pour money into the development of the women's game. The 2013 victory was built on the back of the stunning goalkeeping of Nadine Angerer, who saved two penalties in the final against Norway, and the 2025 squad looked to have a similar net-minding talisman in the shape of Ann-Katrin Berger, who pulled off a miraculous save in their quarter-final against France to prevent an own goal. Berger followed that up with a stellar performance in the penalty shootout win over the French that followed, but on Wednesday she was caught out by Bonmati's lightning shot from a tight angle to her uncovered near post that ended up as the only goal of the game. Though Berger took the blame for the defeat, it was not solely hers to bear. Germany had plenty of chances, with Klara Buehl superb down the left, but they lacked the killer instinct in front of goal that Bonmati displayed. All in all, the Germans displayed plenty of promise as they beat Poland, Denmark and the French in Switzerland, with the only blemish a shock 4-1 defeat by Sweden in which they had a player sent off in the first half. Though some of his choices have been questioned, Wueck says his focus on young players is paying off. "I recently read that the (German Football Association) DFB is miles behind the top nations, and three days later I read that we are in the semi-finals. So maybe the Germans need to learn a little bit that we do everything together, that we want the best for the German nation," he said.
The Guardian
18-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Spain see off stubborn Swiss to reach semis despite two missed penalties
'Spain is Spain,' Switzerland's talismanic captain Lia Wälti had warned and in the quarter-final between the host nation and the world champions, she was right. Athenea del Castillo and Clàudia Pina each struck in a five-minute, second-half spell to crush rumblings of a possible upset. It had been a game of hope, Mariona Caldentey's missed penalty and Livia Peng's save from an Alexia Putellas's spot-kick sandwiching the goals that crushed the resolve of a battling Switzerland. There is the embracing of a team and a tournament and then there is the embracing of women's football as a whole, a collective opening up to the historic injustice of underfunding and a lack of support. Both have taken place in Switzerland. This is a country that has opened its eyes, and its hearts, to the battling 'Nati' who have taken them on an emotional journey. The last-gasp equaliser against Finland to set up a quarter-final with the world champions was a moment of euphoric celebration that could be heard echoing from homes and bars up and down the country and inspired a huge fan walk of 25,000 to the Stadion Wankdorf. But this is also a country that wants more, that wants to back these women whose faces adorn all sorts of adverts and are emblazoned across the backs of shirts in greater and greater numbers every day. 'Here to stay,' read one small banner in the red block behind the Swiss goal. 'This is just the beginning,' read another. It is the type of reaction and level of support Spain long for, their World Cup success celebrated back home in the immediate aftermath but failing to trigger a step-change in the country's attitude towards the women's game. There was a nod to their struggles above the small section of Spanish fans, a banner reading: 'Estamos con Jenni H' ('We are with Jenni Hermoso') next to another which said: 'Abuchea el sexismo! #seacabo' ('Down with sexism #itsover'), the legacy of the kiss forced on forward Hermoso by then Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales during the World Cup trophy presentation. The task in Berne was a big one for the hosts, the biggest perhaps. Spain had earned three large wins over the Swiss in 2023, scoring 17 and conceding twice, in the World Cup and then two Nations League games. Almost two years later could the host nation stem the expected flow from a rampant Spain who won all three group games comfortably? There were two changes for Pia Sundhage's side, Julia Stierli and Svenja Folmli dropping to the bench and Noemi Ivelj and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic called in. They set up in a back five, with the Arsenal defensive midfielder Wälti between the centre-backs as an extra protection. Spain manager Montse Tomé, with the benefit of having been able to rest players for their final group game against Italy with Spain having already earned progression, returned five to the starting XI. Few had given Switzerland any chance of being able to compete with her passing dynamos, but this was a Swiss side ready to make a statement. They should have been behind in the eighth minute, Nadine Riesen's late challenge on Mariona Caldentey conceding a penalty, but the Arsenal forward placed her spot-kick wide of the upright. It was the stroke of luck that the Swiss needed, the cow bells and drums drowned out by the thunder roll from the crowd as the ball thumped the hoarding. The hosts had their first chance 15 minutes in, Wälti the instigator, finding Iman Beney, who carried it into the area before Spain cleared her dangerous ball into the middle. Wälti was magnificent for the Swiss, tirelessly shifting between the midfield and defence as they chased and harried and frustrated their opponents. That they reached half-time with the game goalless was a remarkable achievement. Irene Paredes's header off the outside of the post shortly before the break was the closest the favourites would go. The crowd acting as the 12th man is a cliche, but in the cauldron of red, as every clearance, tackle, turnover, foul, even pass, received a deafening roar, it was hard not to feel that it was fuelling the players in white and adding to the frustrations of the Spanish. The Spanish were patient though, poking away at the wall of white, which they breached twice in the space of five minutes. It required a moment of magic from Aitana Bonmatí to set up Del Castillo. The second was a stunner too. Pina clipped the ball from the feet of Wälti, who was convinced she was fouled and paused to protest, and then fired into the top corner from 20 yards. There was drama late on, as Peng saved from Putellas after Beney conceded a penalty for a challenge on Del Castillo and Noelle Maritz was shown a red card in injury time, but it mattered little. Spain march into the semi-finals, ready to face the winner of Saturday's quarter-final between Germany and France. Switzerland, through, march into an exciting future.
CNA
17-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Sundhage predicts Swiss upset of Spain in Women's Euro fairytale
ZURICH :Switzerland face perhaps the toughest challenge yet as they take on world champions Spain in the quarter-finals of the Women's Euros on Friday, but coach Pia Sundhage predicted a win for her side saying that anything is possible. Sundhage's side have already become the first Swiss team to get out of the group stage at the tournament, and though the Spaniards represent a formidable opponent, the wily Swedish coach highlighted that big upsets have happened before. "I would say this is the biggest ever. And the reason I'm saying that is because we're going to play against the world champions. And also, on home soil, a quarter-final, so I think this is the moment," Sundhage told reporters on Thursday. "We try to share stories, that's what life is all about," she said, revealing that the team had watched videos of the men's side causing a similar upset by beating Spain at the 2010 World Cup. "There are some stories you would like to happen again, so sharing stories brings us together, but they also bring a lot of energy as well, and just the mindset that it is possible." Faced with the might of the reigning world and Nations League champions, Sundhage was supremely confident ahead of the showdown in Bern on Friday evening. "I promise you this - we're going to do it. It will be difficult, but I promise you," the 65-year-old said. "Not only one by one, we're going to do it together. "And if that togetherness works we have a chance. The most important thing is that we do our very best, we can't do more, we do our very best in the quarter-final in Bern. I think that is something special." The winner of the game will face either France or Germany in the semi-final.
Reuters
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Sundhage predicts Swiss upset of Spain in Women's Euro fairytale
ZURICH, July 17 (Reuters) - Switzerland face perhaps the toughest challenge yet as they take on world champions Spain in the quarter-finals of the Women's Euros on Friday, but coach Pia Sundhage predicted a win for her side saying that anything is possible. Sundhage's side have already become the first Swiss team to get out of the group stage at the tournament, and though the Spaniards represent a formidable opponent, the wily Swedish coach highlighted that big upsets have happened before. "I would say this is the biggest ever. And the reason I'm saying that is because we're going to play against the world champions. And also, on home soil, a quarter-final, so I think this is the moment," Sundhage told reporters on Thursday. "We try to share stories, that's what life is all about," she said, revealing that the team had watched videos of the men's side causing a similar upset by beating Spain at the 2010 World Cup. "There are some stories you would like to happen again, so sharing stories brings us together, but they also bring a lot of energy as well, and just the mindset that it is possible." Faced with the might of the reigning world and Nations League champions, Sundhage was supremely confident ahead of the showdown in Bern on Friday evening. "I promise you this -- we're going to do it. It will be difficult, but I promise you," the 65-year-old said. "Not only one by one, we're going to do it together. "And if that togetherness works we have a chance. The most important thing is that we do our very best, we can't do more, we do our very best in the quarter-final in Bern. I think that is something special." The winner of the game will face either France or Germany in the semi-final.
